Field service method and apparatus



- Nov. 5, 1940. R. P. HERZOG 2,220,650

FIELD SERVICE METHOD AND-APPARATUS Filed oct. 2o,1 1959 2 sheet-s-sneet 1 T n l/ 46 I7 f6 .34 l

25 54 2z 51 l n 559.4. .l geen? Amo@ Silente/1 Nov. 5, 1940. R. P. HERZOG FIELD SERVICE METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed oct. 2o, 1959 2 sheets-'sheet 2 v E 0. 3 @.1 0 .n G 2 ma n. Eu w 6 7 ,q 3 .Mu L4. M n o o l 6 0 5 4 4 o a r 6 5 .4 2 a f e M f 9 un `L3 Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f FIELD sEEvIcE METHOD AND APPAm'rUs- Robert I. Herzog, Washing-ton, D. C. Application October 20l, 1939, SerlalNo. 300,479 2 Claims. (ci. 296-1) This invention relates to a process of and portable vequipment for the servicing, repairing, and otherwise treating ground areas, sub-surface tunnels, sewers, and utility equipment in surface ,and

5 sub-surface areas such as fluid-conduits, power lines, fuel lines, surface and sub-surface structures and the like.

Prior to the instant invention, servicing and repair work on surface and sub-surface areas has usually been carried out in fair weather because of the inconveniences and hazards associated with inclement weather. -For example, it is well known that there are relatively great dangers involved in the handling of electric equipment in wet weather as then material which would ordinarily act as an insulator serves to become a conductor.

of men inthe openin inclement weather is decidedly low. As service to? such areas is frequently of acharacter as to be classified as an emergency, the repairs or changes or revisions must nevertheless be made by the emergency or repair crew in inclementeweather with accompanying undesirable results or sacrifice of emciency. f Y

In order that repair or emergency crews may work in inclement weather, it has been suggested that temporary shelters such as shacksor tents be erected on the site of the work in order to lo facilitate the sameA However, the extra equipment is cumbersome, requires time in erection prior to \e initiation of emergency or repair` operations and in the subsequent disassembly and stowing away ofthe temporary shelter. Accordingly, considerable time is involved prior to the making of necessary emergency r pairs with correspondingly undesirable results. n fact by the time a shelter can be erected at the site where the emergency repair is to be madeit may 0 be too late toA make the emergency repair and. complete reinstallation of new equipment maybe necessitated.

For repairs 'of the character discussed above, it is common to provide mobile equipment for the convenience ofthe emergency or repair'y crew and tools and parts and sometimes temporary collapsible or other temporary shelters. In accordance with the instant invention, it is contemplated to associate with the mobile equipment 50 now utilized a trailer or a compartment of the n iain mobile equipment so constructed 'and arranged as to facilitate emergency service, repair, revisions and additions to surfaceand subsurface areas. J 5

u It is anbbiect ofthe instant invention to set In addition, the eiiiciency of a crew forth a process involving the servicing and repairing of surface and sub-surface areas-in the i'leld by working with a permanent portable compartment capable of operating out of a central station and operating through the floor thereof 5 with suitable equipment. l It is a further object of the instant invention `to provide aportable car -having an opening in its oor and servicing and repair equipment located within the car in cooperating relationship 10 .with the opening in the floor thereof whereby when the portable car is moved to'the surface or sub-surface area to be serviced, repairs, service, changes or revisions may be made in clement or vinclement weather without sacrifice of eiciency 15 or time and relatively without danger.

It is still another object of the instant inven-A ,tion to provide a process`for `repairing and servicing which is readily adaptables to the needs' of public utilities, municipalities, and others for the '20 treatment, servicing, repairing, evising and installing of equipment and struct es in surface or sub-surface areas.

' Other objects and the nature and advantages ,of the invention will be apparent from the fol- 25 lowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig.'1 is an elevational view of a trailer n vaccordance with the invention;

Fig'. 2 is a schematic view partly in section'ancl 3U ypartly in elevation of the trailer in Fig. 1 arranged over a manhole and in position to service a sub-surface area;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional" view of the trailer arranged over a manhole and in position 35 .t0 Service a Sub-Surface area.; and,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the trailer arranged overla manholeand illustrating in particular the'blower equipment.

Referring to the drawings,a trailer Il) is provided with -acoupling arrangement Il at its for.' ward end whereby the said trailer may ,be assoelated with a tractor or other mobile equipment' adapted `to pull the trailer to a desired location .where servicing, repairs or revisions or the like 4'5 is to be made. Though the trailer I0 is illus-.- tr ted as being adapted to be pulled by a tractor or ther equipment, it is to be understood that it 'is contemplated, in accordance with the inventionfthat the trailer l0 may be provided with its 50 own motor andA drive means whereby 'it-is unnecessary to associate it with other mobileequipment.

Lights I2 may be arranged at various strategicv locations on the car vIll in vorder to warn ap; 5c

proachingvehicles of the location of the car I while the same is stationary and arranged for worl` 'on some surface or sub-surface area. Though the lights I2 are shown at but the front and rear of the car I0 in the drawings, it is contemplated that they may be arranged at several other points including the sides so as to provide for sufficient'warning. y To facilitate loading and unloading of the car I0, it may be provided with doors I3 located at the front and back, which doors are hinged at their tops |4 and provided with suitable aligning and holding anism |5 whereby the doors I3 may be held n fully opened position without at- 157 tention. .In addition to the doors I3 the sides of the car may be provided with vertically hinged loading or unloading doors I 8 provided with suitable latches I1. 'Ihese doors I5 may be arranged on both sides of the car. A door I8 provided with a conventional door latch I9 may beV located toward the forward end of the car for the entrance and exit of the car crew. To provide natural light to the interior of the car the windows 20 may be arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The walls, roof and floor of the car I0 are fabricated in a manner to provide forvrelatvelv' great strength to support equipment which will be later described, which equipment is arranged in cooperating relationship with the hatch or opening 2| formed in the floor 22 of the oar lo. A sliding closure 23 slidably supported by angle irons 24` and substantially sealed by gasket ma# terial 25 is arranged on'the oor of the car and is adapted to successively close and open the hatch opening 2| as desired. It is to be understood that it is within the scope of the invention to arrange the closure for the hatch opening directly beneath the floor 22 instead of directly thereabove as shown in Fig. 2. Supported by the iioor 22 and in cooperating relation with the opening 2| is the relatively high powered spot- 'lig'nt 25 which may be universally adjusted by the mechanism 21 to provide the prper light through the opening 2| to a surface area beneath the car Ill or within the sewer V28, see Fig. 2. A collapsible ladder 29 is associated with automatic mechanism 30 for automatically lowering or elevating -the same in cooperation with thexopening 2| whereby the crew of the car I0 may haveready access to the sewer and illumination from the light 25 for their work within the sewer 28 orbeneath the car III. An extension lamp or work light 3| having a cord 32 adapted to be unwound from the reel 33 which ymay contain a spring to provide for automatic rewinding is supported from the interior of the roof 34 of the car I9. 'Ihis ,lamp 3|maybe pulledthrough the opening 2| to work within the sewer 2,8 at a point or location not illuminated by the spotlight 26 to further facilitate the work within the sewer. The ceiling light xture 35 may be supportedby the ceiling 34 so as to provide for illumination within the car I0 and also may be arranged in cooperating relation with the opening 2| so as to provide for additional illumination beneath the surface beneath the floor 22 andeven within the sewer 28. Additional lamps, not shown, similar tc the lamp 35 `may be a'ranged within the car I0 at suitable places as desired.

A-hoist38inay be supported by the interior of the roof l34 in cooperating relation with the opening 42| so that a v'manholefcover or other equip'-A ment may be raised from the surface beneath the car I8 ora piece of equipment or structure withiny u the sewer 28 may be raised to within the car l0 lcoil 54 is a condenser and vice versa. A volatile and then swung outwardly thereof through the doors l5 for example, if desired.

A cooling and heating unit 31 may be arranged within the car to provide for cooling or heating of fluids passed therethrough. For example, if it 5 is desired to pass cool or heated air from within the Icar to the sewer 28, the blower 38 may be operatedto pull air from 4the car through the louvres 39, through the unit 31, through conduit 48 and to conduit 4|, thence. through the blower 38 to the conduit 42 and then by a flexible pipe attached to the outlet 43 of the conduit 42 to within the sewer 28. This operation would involve opening the valves 44, 45 and 43 and closing valves 41, 48 and 49. The cooling and heating unitmay also be provided with an opening 50 leading to the air outside of 'the car whereby air 'from without the car may be pumped to the sewer 28. The car I0 may carry a collar 5|a provided withtight fitting rubber rim 5|b, which collar 5Ia is adapted to be placed -around and within the mouth of the manhole opening 5| to prevent unit 31 may be provided with a heat rejecting or absorbing coil 54 located on the roof of the car I0 and a heat rejecting or absorbing coil within the unit 31. A compressor may be located in series with these two coils by means of the conduits 55 and55 and cross connections may be so associated with these conduits and the compressorA whereby the coil within the unit`31 may act as a condenser. or evaporator and the coil 54 may also act as a condenser or evaporator, That is, when-= the coil within the unit 31 is an evaporator the refrigerant may be charged into the circuit of the 45 heating and cooling unit and the compressor operated to pass compressed iiuid rst either through coil 54 or the coil within the unit-31 as desired. When the compressed fluid first passes through the coil 54, the coil 54 is a condenser and the coil within the unit 31 is an evaporator and serves to cool the vambient passed thereover. When the compressed fluid is rst passed through the coil within the unit 31 and subsequently through the coil 54 the coil within the unit 31 is then a\condenser and serves to reject heat to the ambient passing thereover. This reversible compressor condenser expander system, in which suitable and proper valves may be incorporated, serves as a heater or cooler as desired. It forms -by itself no part of the instant invention but does form part of the instant invention in its combination with the car I8 and as it cooperates with the opening 2| to provide service for the area therebelow.

When it is desired to pump air or ambient from within the sewer 28 to without the car I0 the valves 44, 45 and 48 are opened and the valves 41, 45 ahd 49 are closed. When it is desired to pump the ambient from withinthe sewer 28 to the tank 51, whereby the said ambient may be later analyzed or used for other purposes, the valves 44, 45 and 48 are closed and the .valves 41, 45 and 49 are opened. Accordingly it will be understood that heated or cooled air from within or without and for other the car may be pumped to within the sewer 28 through the opening 2| and also the ambient within the sewer 28 may be collected for sampling or for other purposes or pumped to without `the car -lll as desired. y l

For emergency purposes a fire extinguisher 58 may be located within the car I and usedas required.

Located in cooperating relation with the .opening 2| is the winch 59 driven by the motor 60. This W'inch may be used for raising and lowering equipment, reelring\or unreeling tubes and wires purposes as will be readily ap arent. At all times the winch 59 cooperates with the opening 2| in the floor 22 ofthe car i8. A pump 6| may be located on the oor 22 of the car I8 and be connected by a hose 62 with the interior of the sewer 26 whereby liquids may be pumped to or from the sewen IWhen it is desired that liquid be pumped from the sewer, the valves 63, 64 are opened and the Valves 65, 66, 61 and 68 are closed, wherebyfluid will pass upwardly through the flexible conduit 62 through the-pump inlet conduit 10 through the pump 6| and through the conduit 1| through the oor 22 of the car I0 the exterior oi' the car. When it is desired that some of the liquid material within the sewer 28 be collected, the valves 63, 68 and 61 are opened and the valves 66, 65, 64 are closed.

The material is then sucked upwardly through conduit 62 through the pump 6| through con-- Y duit 13 to the tank 15. When it is desired thatv the motor pump 6|, the winch 59. the generator G driven by the engine E supplies power through the switchboard S illustrated in Fig. 1. The generator G mayfbe driven by -the motor for the car i0 whenthe same is self-propelled or e ctric power at the location n which the repa s, or servicing is done may be tapped and tilized through the switchboard to provide for the `op- `erationoi the various motor driven elements all theupservicing, the repairing and working on surface or sub-surface areas below the car without expenditures o f time otherwise necessary in the erection of temporary shelter.

in the specification v appended claims.

In general, the operations described above involve a process and equipment for the rapid servicing or repairing of surface or sub-surface areas such as frequently are made by work crews in the field in order to maintain or install equipment for power companies, other utilities and municipalities. The novel process and vequipment insure service during both clement and inclement weather and save time and money for a lesser number of crews arenecessary to maintain, install and repair equipment in a locality of predetermined size.

Though the air and liquid pumping apparatus are schematically shown in the drawings for the .purpose of clarity as being in the center of .the car I8, it is to be understood that the equipment is located on the walls and oor of the car and out of the way of the doors I6 and other equipmen-t.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various "changes may be made in this device Without departing f romp the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described nutonly as 'indicated in the What is claimed is:

1. 'I'he method of effecting emergency' service in the eld to surface and sub-surface areas, comprising: moving overY the ground surface a wheeled `vehicle,-enclosed on the top and sides of which cooperate with the opening 2| to permit Y and provided with an access opening in the bottom of a size suflicient to accommodate passage of the vehicle crew therethrough and for. the manipulation of equipment by the crew therethrough, to a location directly above the area to be serviced, and rendering service to said area under the shelter of said enclosed vehicle.

2. The method of effecting emergency service in the field to surface and sub-surface areas involving the passage of material between the area d to be serviced and a second space, comprising: moving over the ground surface a wheeled vehicle, enclosed on the top and sides andprovided with access openings in the sides and the bot" tom for the manipulation of equipment by the crew therethrough to a location directly above the area to be serviced,- and rendering service to said area under the shelter of said enclosed ve hicle including passing material ibetween said area and aY space outside of said vehicle above the ground by passing said materialinto said vehicle through one of said openings and out of said ve- 

